>> giving diplomacy a fighting chance. secretary of state set to meet face to face with russia's foreign minister. it's a state of the art fighter jet built for every branch of military, no one is using it. >> righting up banned in some places, electronic secrets are off limits in one city.

>> he said come home, she said no. >> a family feud in court. a teenager suing her mum and dat. >> good morning, welcome to al jazeera. secretary of state john kerry is set to meet russia's minister, amid a war of words over the standoff in crimea's peninsula. john kerry arrived for talks on-tuesday, the high level meeting the first between the two countries since russia september troops to crimea. ukraine offered little assurance of a peaceful solution. a meeting two the two country's defence ministers on tuesday epded in a stalemate, one said

"we have no sign of hope." >> lisa stark joins us from washington in a moment. but jennifer glasse is in the crimea city of sevastopol. good morning. we heard from foreign minister sergei lavrov before the meeting with kerry. what did he have to say? >> good morning, sergei lavrov speaking in madrid making clear the russian position is far from the american position. moscow believes president viktor yanukovych was ousted illegally. that moscow was forced to act because what happened in kiev could be contagious, criticising the west for supporting the new government in kiev, criticising what sergei lavrov called protesters acting against the ukrainian constitution and russia can't do anything about ordering forces back to bases because they are self-defence

forces. that is a critical point. there are thousands of troops across the peninsula blockading bases and ports outside every gate of every military installation, russian, with weapons. they are military uniforms. ukrainian officers said they are clearly russian, they spoke to some. some have identified, the vast majority have not, but they are travelling in russian military vehicles and russian licence baits. >> you are in crimea, where tensions are high on tuesday. where do they remain now? >> they are high. this is sevastopol, a naval town. both the ukrainian and russian black fleet are located here. until 1978 the stit was under

the control city was occupied the control of moscow, and onward came under ukrainian's control in 1978. >> a russian show of force in ukrainian waters. in is sevastopol, stryletska bay. the blockade is meant to pressure sailors to switch sides, to pledge allegiance to crimea and its government. the crew of the "donbass" refused. on board - 120 ukrainian sailors. one is vadim. his wife, ireacha prays at the naval base, worried the stand off will turn into a war. at least she can talk on the phone, others are calling with threats. they said "you better sign the agreement, we know where with our family is and the school", i

asked her who is calling, she says she doesn't nope. ner sailor's wife olga shows me photos of her husband and is surprised by the hostility. >> this will soon be russia. there's no place for us. you are ukrainian, go serve in ukraine. >> across the street from the naval base, russian soldiers are setting up camp. >> that's what the russians have done across crimea. this overlooks the ukrainian navy base. the ukrainian chief of staff says they are talking with the russians outside the gate. >> we talk the same language, we understand each other, but the situation on the outside on the top of the abandoned building, you can see the position, the fire position in its - it

pointed to our direction. the camp refuses to change its flags and loyalties to ukraine. >> nobody wants to be betrar in the eyes of our country men. >> back in stryletska bay is ukraine's only submarine, also blocked by the russians. theships of both navies sit side by side. only the russian boats can move in the stand off by the sea. >> well, the ukrainian officers told me they would be cursed by their country men if they stepped down. they know they are outnumbered. when the fleet was divided in 1997, russia got 80%, ukraine 20%. they know they can't stand militarily. there are warships at the entrance. those are ferries behind me, nothing else allowed in or out.

>> jennifer glasse reporting from sevastopol. >> the white house is keeping up the pressure on russia on several fronts. lisa stark covers that part of the story. president obama has been calling out vladimir putin over his strategy in crimea. what is he saying. >> president obama says putin's assistance that he is not breaking international law is not fooling anybody. the president says people understand russia's interest in the neighbouring ukraine, but it does not give russia the right to use force. diplomatic manoeuvring conditions to try to end the crisis in ukraine. >> president obama continues to put on the pressure in his bid to isolate russia over its aggression in crimea. even has he weighs economic sanctions he hopes another option gains traction. >> we are calling for a deescalation and international monitors that can go into the

country. >> this is what the president calls the off-ramp, a way out of the cois assist for -- crisis for russia's president what says he reserves the right to tuesday forces in crimea. >> if we make a decision to protect ukrainian decisions. >> that's what the off-ramp does, allowing international observers to take the place of russian forces and protect the rights of the russian-speaking population in crimea. the white house envisions three scenarios, a dangerous escalation with russia moving beyond crimea, and russia holding firm in crimea, and finally a peaceful solution resulting in an end to the stalemate. if president putin conditions to see the formation of a new government as anything but legal. >> translation: the division of what has happened in kiev and

ukraine. the definition is the only one. it is an unconstitutional coup and military seizure of power. >> the russian president reportedly agreed to a nato request to hold a special meeting on the ukrainian crisis. certainly stephanie a lot of efforts under way to resolve this peacefully, not to ratchet up the pressure too much. >> ultimately the u.s. is one of 15 countries sending military observers to crimea. what can you tell us about that mission. >> this is under the security of cooperation in europe. 15 member nations, including the u.s., agreed to pick two military observers at the invitation of the ukrainian government. they'll go to the ukraine, then to crimea, to look at human rights and the security. russian cooperation may be needed for this, it's unclear when they may get into crimea,

if at all. >> lisa stark for us in washington. there is increasing international pressure on russia to pull his troops pt the white house has been reaches out to allies, especially germany, that has strong economic ties. >> german chancellor angela merkel reportedly saying in a private phone call that vladimir putin was living in another world. angela merkel said little publicly. and appears to be by design. behind the scenes angela merkel is at the center of quiet diplomacy. russia and germany have strong economic ties. germany is the biggest importer of russian gas and oil, some coming through ukrainian pipelines and russia accounts for 36 of gas production.

angela merkel and vladimir putin maintained a strong business like relationship. vladimir putin speaks german after having been stationed in dressden. analysts say they seem to respect each other's toughness. putin and angela merkel spoke several times, recently when putin agreed with angela merkel's proposal to open dialogue with russia and ukraine's government. a negotiated solution will help germany's economy as much as any other in europe. since the collapse of the soviet union no country has benefitted more than eastern europe and russia. several countries, poland and others serb as production centers for -- serve as production centres. while the president and

secretary of state john kerry have been pushing to impose sanctions, germany, for now, opposeds them. >> the obama administration officials are doup playing the -- downplaying the delights with germany -- angela merkel has been given room to move with vladimir putin in order to reach a deal. >> the obama administration has cancelled a trade mission to moscow as well as a russian trip to washington d.c. this week. >> live pictures from independence square in ukraine. where people are still camped out but things have calmed down since pt change in government. we'll follow the events in ukraine at aljazeera.com. for breaking news and update check out the blog on aljazeera.com. >> a wave of deadly bomb attacks rattles baghdad. >> 20 were killed.

90 injured. seven of the blasts were caused by car bombs. the others iuds or improvised explosives. it is unclear if they were related. >> oscar pistorius covered his ears and wept after the first prosecution witness, a neighbour who heard screaming and a gunshot. it contradicts a claim that he accidentally shot his girlfriend stooep , thinking -- reeva steenkamp, thinking she was an intruder. >> as a prosecutor you want to plan your trial ahead. you want to adduce evered with a good start. i think that's what the state has done. >> the story made history when he was the first paralimp

athlete to compete in the regular olympics. he faces life in prison if convicted of premeditated murder. >> chuck hagel is scheduled to testify, announcing last week to shrink the army numbers not seen before world war ii. there has been cuts to the stealth a 35 fighter jets. they are years behind schedule and billions over budget. >> the joint strike fighter, the f-35 is supposed to be all things to all branches of the u.s. military. ant to evade enemy radar, capable of supersonic speed and able to land and take off like a helicopter. since the pentagon unfilled the f35, turning plans into a fully capable jet has been

problematic. almost every hardware program the pentagon takes twice as much, they take twice as long to deliver and gives you half the performance. >> a special helmet meant to help pilots see threats from everywhere makes them dizzy. >> recent ground testing caused serious cracks in the bulk head of the version designed for the marine corp. they are some problems in a program costing taxpayers $392 over its lifetime, 70% more than original by projected. while pilots are conducting test fights, not a single jet is ready to go into contact. one day they'll by 25,000 to see

the military, but over the next year, just 34. why few? congressionally mandated budget costs. every program has to be trimmed to save money. >> the reality of reduced resources and a challenging and changing strategic environment requires us to requirementize and make difficult choices. some we must make now. >> despite the problems and the cost overruns, the military has no plans to scrap the f35. russia and china are developing fighters that will outgun and outfly the u.s. fleet. the question is whether the pentagon can make good on the promise of a jet that can tackle all threats in all conditions.

>> the budget proposal calls for retiring the u2 spy plan for one controlled remotely. >> a pregnant woman apparently drove into the water, driving a minnie van with her three children, ages 10, 9 and 3. life guards and other beach goers rushed in. they pulled all for to safety before the van was submerged by the waves. one of the children told rescue areas, "mummy is trying to kill us, please help." the mother was incoherent, uncooperative. she is undergoing psychiatric evaluation, the children have been placed in protective custody. >> tex joons have gone to the polls. greg abbott peat out eight other candidates, facing off against wendy davis. she is the first female nom ni since ann richards in 1994.

>> i'm ready to fight for you and fight for every hard-working texan across the state. >> i need you on my side all the way to november the 4th, when we declare victory was the next governor for the great state of texas. >> and in the texas senate race incumbent republican breezed through the election. they easily beat tea party congressman. they called the win a victory for the full spectrum. >> as seep and suspected, texas continued to be practical. they are looking for solutions, not just speeches. >> stackman's last-minute decision grabbed national attention, but he ran a campaign seen as lacklustre. he'll face democratic nominee in november. >> the coast guard is trying to

get the great lakes ready for spring, sending ice cutters into the water to prepare for the shipping season starting near the end of the month. 90% of the great lakes are covered in ice. lake superior is at 95%, the most it has seen in two decade. torrential rain leading to flood watches in the north-west. eboni deon is here with a look at the forecast. >> we are getting a steady stream of moisture into the pacific north-west. we are starting to get the rain where we needed it. it's shifted northwards, bringing concerns. as we head inland across idaho, and montana, we have avalanche warnings. keep that in mind for travel plans that you might have, recreational activities, and the aerial flood warnings and watches shown in green. we'll deal with rivers rising thanks to warmer temperatures

and the rain expected to come in. excessive rain fall. that will lead to big problems. anywhere from three to five inches. it's one of those places with blooding concerns. here is a look at the pacific moisture heading into the north-west. this is the pattern over the next couple of days, we'll see the flood risk around. to the upper midwest is the cold air. it's a record winter for many areas, including chicago. it will stale on the lighter side, around one to 3 inches of snow. temperatures worming up to 40 -- warming up to 40 degrees by friday. >> banking with bitcoin is turning out to be risky business much online robbers making off with millions of dollars of the

currency. >> lawmakers passing a bill banning e-cigarettes. areas where they are off limit. >> a little boy suspended from school for holding his fingers like a gun. the school principal is standing behind the punishment that some are calming extreme.

>> residence in new jersey say it felt like a bomb went off. a townhouse exploded killing one and causing several injuries. contractors dammed a gas line when digging in the area. after utility crews worked to fix the problems houses blew up. 10 units were destroyed, dozens of home damaged. >> fans of e-cigarettes will not be able to inhale in public. the l.a. city councils banned them and will treat them the

same as norm at cigarette product. it will protect impressionable kids. oponts say it helps people kick cigarettes. calm has returned to the markets. stock futures are lower. this as the u.s. and russia are set to talk about the ukrainian crisis. here is where we stand. the dow jones industrial average at 1695. the nasdaq composite at 4351. a market strategist said if tensions in the ukraine are high, more money could flow to the u.s. >> as much as you think they would be a disrupter, i think they are a catalyst for more profit earring. there's no other asset classes around the world offering safety and stability. >> overseas asian markets ended the day lower, but japan's neca

rose 1%. european stocks are posting losses. >> we'll find out if the winter storms took a toll on the job market. economists expect an increase of 153,000 jobs, down from 175,000 in january. the report is a prelude to the monthly jobs report. the labour department reaches that on friday. >> flex coin banks shutting down after 600,000 of the virtual currency was stolen. the entire bitcoin holdings online. flex coin says it can't recover. last week a larger bitcoin exchange went bankrupt. >> christ yanls are observing ash wednesday. that is a live look at st. kath dral's cathedral.

churches like this burnt palms and the ash is applied to the forehead of catholics. the lent season is a time to refresh, repent and pray. >> a new magazine called "my pope", costing $0.70, featuring stories about what inspires the pope. a saints of the week and backgrounds of remarks. it will have a glossy centrefold. they expect to sell 3 million copes. >> now to eboni deon, meteorologist. it's cold out there. temperatures will rebound as wet go through the day. 16 in minneapolis. 19 in chicago. it feels more like we are in the low teens. you need to bundle up. omaha 21. this morning starting milder.

we have 40s around in texas. at least to make it up to 53 with a cold and cloudy day. term doors heating up. >> secretary of state john kerry said to meet with russia's foreign minister just a few hours from now. russia's minister making comments that put a damper on the meeting before it starts. >> kentucky has a ban on same-sex marriage. the man in charge of defending it is refusing. >> she's 18, an honour student and was kicked out of her house. what she's suing mum and dad for, and what a judge had to say about it. >> i'm john henry smith. strife-torn ukraine has a soccer match as their countryman take on the u.s. we tell you why the match is important for both nations.

>> welcome back to al jazeera america. secretary of state john kerry is in paris in an attempt to diffuse the ukraine crisis. he'll hold face to face talks with russian counterpart sergei lavrov. on tuesday john kerry was in kiev pledging a billion dollar loan and urged vladimir putin to stand down military pressure and affirmed american solidarity with ukraine. >> the united states will stand by the ukrainian people as they build the strong sovereign democratic country that they deserve. >> for more on the talks between john kerry and sergei lavrov, we are joined by phil ittner, who is in kiev. the meeting was supposed to be about syria, no doubt ukraine will be the focus of the conversation. >> yes, absolutely no doubt that will be the topic.

conversation. in addition to sergei lavrov and john kerry, we heard to the e.u.'s katherine ashton, will join sergei lavrov and john kerry in paris. >> there are still protests on the ground, i see, behind you there in kiev. are the people on the square listening or are they concerned about the diplomatic efforts in. >> they are concerned for a variety of reasons. there's a sense here that they may have been taken over by bigger issues, bigger geopolitical issues, and their lives may be in the hands of moscow and washington d.c. we heard when secretary of state john kerry was here yesterday, he went on to the street, he met with people, and they gave him the impression "don't forget, it's about us, we have to live with the consequences, and when you go to paris, take that message with you."

>> they gave me a deep personal sense of how closely linked the people of ukraine are to not just americans, but people all across the world who today are asking for their right, for the privilege to live defining their own nation, defining their future. >> now, stephanie, they are on this square. they have been here for a month and intend to stay here. while they may have ousted viktor yanukovych, there's a feeling that they need to let the world know they have a strong desire to conclude what they started, there will be elections in may for a new president, and their stay here until that happens at least. >> phil ittner live for us in kiev. thank you. >> ukraine is claiming that usha is not offering aadjourns of a peaceful resolution to the situation in crimea. >> this is the scope outside a base in crimea. this is deuce as russian troops

fired warning shots at a group of ukrainian soldiers marching unarmed between the convoys. a meeting between defence ministers ended in a stalemate. a ukrainian official said "we don't have any sign of hope." russian warships have been preventing ukrainian ships from leaving the base. like the arab spring uprising social media played a big part in the crisis. from government officials to the protesters themselves, 2002er, facebook is being used to talk about and propel the rapidly changing events. photos and videos posted online for the world to see. one of those posting off end is katter eacha, a 22-year-old activist who had been live tweeting and joins us from kiev. thank you for being with us.

i want to talk about the marraive we are seeing out of russian state media. the narrative that ukraine is being taken over by ultra nationalists, especially against pro-russian ukrainians. you disagree that is happening. how are you using social media to counter that story line? >> yes, unfortunately, that's the truth. we are having very powerful ant anti-russian campaign. they have the newspapers and tv channels in crimea and are blocking some sources. like a russian version of facebook. they posted this information, aggressive messages about ukrainians saying "we are radical, extremists and the only aim to stay on the maydan and

living is to be against russia, fight against jews and other minorities. >> it's not just the russian state media talking about the element of ultra nationalisms. there's other outlets, noting that there are several cabinet ministers appointed in the new government that represent the far right ultra conservative part of russia. do you disagree that that is part of the protest movement at all? >> no, they are part of the protest movement, the nationalists and other groups. the role they played at the beginning has been a little exaggerated by western media. they are here, but are not playing the most significant role. >> we know your twitter feed has

been busy, and you have personally received threats. what can you share with us about these? where are the threats coming from. >> well, as a rule they come from russia or people supporting russia in the struggle. the most surprising thing is that i have been tweeting for almost three months, and i was receiving some supportive emails, messages, but it's the third of the fourth day of the russian evasion. we are having a lot of aggressive messages. i received a message that i should find a way out crane. as soon as russians get me, they'll kill me. >> yet you continue to tweet. this is important. how influential was social media in organising the protest on the maydan? >> social media played a huge role. to be honest, op december 11th,

when the crackdown was taking place, it seems they were a decisive moment allowing us to stay strong. when the crackdown started there was around 2,000 people in maydan, and when we their the message, there is an alarm situation. the riot police is coming. we need more people to be here. in a few hours there was about 40,000 people. this is a perfect explanation of what social media play on maydan. this is the main platform of sharing information, alarming messages and bringing people together and bringing them together to solve problems. >> you have talked and written about what you call an information blockade that is happening in russia, and now we heard reports over the weekend that the russian version of facebook has been blocking certain users in ukraine.

what can you tell us about that? >> this is absolutely truth, unfortunately. i have to say that here in the ukraine. conductor is more popular. people who are pro-european, pro-democratic are using facebook. a lot of them and other people in ukraine are using other platforms from russia. yes, for the last few days, russia has blocked the platforms and all pages that are related to maydan, the ukrainian revolution and any page writing about what is going tonne. >> are you noticing a presents from the pro-russian ukranians, we know a big part of the country, the east of the country, tends to lean more towards russia. >> yes, this is true.

this is because of some cultural and historical tries. but thanks to maydan, it is changing a lots. people had a great chance to question themselves, in what country would they hike to live in the future. it's not a matter of breaking old ties with russia. a lot of us have family and friends. people in ukraine have understood that those are different matters. country you are living in and country you have friendly relations with. >> katter eacha cruke ukrainian protestor and activist joining us. we appreciate your perspective. we'll follow ukraine throughout the day. check out the live blog on aljazeera.com. the kentucky governor is hiring outside council to defend the state's ban on same-sex marriage after the state's

attorney-general refused to file an appeal. erica pitzi joins us. we are starting to see this. >> this is the seventh straight attorney-general refusing to defend a state ban on gay marriage after it was found unconstitutional. this is why the legalization seems to be gaining moment up. a record high 59% support same sex merge. 38% opposed. >> even though kentucky bans gay marriage the tide may be turning as well. >> kentucky's attorney-general jack conway choked back tears when he explained why he would not represent the state. >> in the final analysis i have to make a decision i can be

proud of. for me and my daughter's judgment. >> conway's decision is at odds with governor steve basheer, but his stance is in live with u.s. district judge john hay burn calling the ban unconstitutional because it treated gay and lesbian persons differently, in a way ta demeans them. the government said it would hire other council. but added same-sex marriages in states should be ultimately decided by the u.s. supreme court to bring finality to the matter. conway called the ban being kept as the state's way of defending discrimination. >> that i will not do. >> according to his boss, u.s. attorney-general eric holder, he does not have to. holder said as much in a recent speech for attorney-general s.

>> we must uphold the values that led our fore bears to all are created equal. >> this issue is larger than ta single person. it's about placing people over politics. >> for now the order in kentucky is on hold until march 20th. as for the ban an same-sex marriage 75% of kentucky voters approved it in 2004. to give you an idea of how politics changed. 38% thought kay marriage should be legal and 59% thought it should not be allowed. 2014, the numbers have virtually flipped. >> a family feud in new jersey essalated into a lawsuit.

an 18-year-old suing her parents or high school tuition. the judge said the case could set a legal precedent. >> teenagers and their personalities are bound to have disagreements. but they don't usually end up in court. that's not the case here. rachel canning, 18, is suing her parents. she said her mum and dad kicked her out of the house before her 18th birthday and refused to may her tuation at a catholic high school where she's app honour's stupid and are refusing to pay for college. rachel asked the judge to make them pay for present and future schooling and $650 a week in child support and $13,000 in legal fees. rachel's parents, her attorney said, bail abandoned her. >> these people have not called her, come to see her, they have

not sent a penny. >> rachel's parents say that is in the the case, arguing the team left home. instead of agreeing to the rules of the house. do some chores, keep a curfew. >> clearly she was not on the streets. clearly she could have come home to high school and a new car. there's no reason she couldn't. she didn't want to give up the boyfriend. >> rachel has been living with her best friend. her lawsuit is offensed by her best friend's father, attorney. being 18 in new jersey doesn't mean the financial umbilical cord is cut. parent could be on the hook to support their adult child if they can't support him or herself. the cannings say rachel eplans pated herself when she moved

out. >> the judge expressed concerns that the lawsuit could open a slippery slope. >> i condone where you open the gates toar 12-year-old to sue for an x box. the judge ruled against the teen, denying everything, except the college tuition, setting a later date. >> the next hearing is tentatively scheduled for april 22nd. the judge will decide whether to require canning's parents to pay for her college. >> a 9-year-old student was suspended, nathan, pointed had finger at another's head pretending it was a gun. the school said it warped stunts about pretend gun play. nathan's father said the

principal went too far. >> i have known the kids in school. they are in fight and not suspended that long. for him to make his fenningers into a gun and be suspended. i don't understand it. >> paul says he's been warned by school officials. the punish the will be severe if it happens again. >> the arrest in ukraine is having an effect on sports. >> with all the strife and suffering happening in the ukraine, it's not surprising that the friendly match between u.s. soccer and the ukraine is plagued by uncertainty. the two teams are set to play in cyprus in a game that the players have not been so sure would happen. >> first a decision was made like that's it, we are not going. then someone called and said "the game will take place", i

don't know who or what was involved. >> this is an important warm-up for u.s. soccer as the team compares to compete in the world cup 99 days from now. the ukrainian team will not compete for the world cup. many consider the ukrainians among the best of the teams that did not qualify. >> this is a huge one, particularly for certain players that are in europe. the core nucleus of this team is in the united states here with mls, getting ready for the mls season. a bunch of guys, fringe players, this is a big game. considering the tensions around the game, was it going to happen, was it not. i think it's a big moment for the u.s. to step up, showing regardless of all the complications they can go tout and get a good result. >> more about the world cup when brazil won the bid for the world cup in 2006. the promise was that all 12 stadiums would be finished by

the end of 2013. two months into 2014, only six have been completed. that despite around the clock construction. two stadiums may not be ready until weeks before the owing matches in june. it's not just the stadiums behind schedule. work on airports, roads and other urban projects are in danger of not being done before teams, fans and son source arrive. >> this is a long way to go. it's a short way to go if there are still problems. but now all problems are under control, and it will be in 100 days an exceptional good start with an exceptional competition. >> and that is a look at morning sports. >> john henry smith, thank you.

>> facebook is spending $60 million to buy a company making unmanned aerial drones. there's a smartphone app for just about anything. we look at some that can help you hail a cab in the digital drill down. >> and this is a book at bour bon street in new orleans. fat tuesday, mardi gras wrapping up and now the clean-up.

>> welcome back to al jazeera america. just ahead we'll check out popular travel apps in the digital dril down. a quick look at the forecast with meteorologist eboni deon. >> i'm checking out the radar where we are dealing with rain, snow and freezing rain in the south. there's not a lot of wide

activity in the upper midwest. just enough to impact. we can see one to three inches. it will taper off by late this morning. unfortunately the roads will be slick. scattered light snow across massachusetts, and the breezing rain making for slick roadways. >> first, amazon and google and facebook wants in on the drone business. it is in talks to buy titan aerospace for $60 billion, following amazon's purchase. facebook is considering using the drones to provide internet service in developing countries beginning in africa, serving as a platform for the social network site and the recent purchase of whatsapp. >> flagging down a cab on a street corner could go the way of the horse and buggy, developers created travel apps

helping you to catch a ride on your smartphone. we cover start-ups and technology for business insider, and we have chantelle here for the digital drill-down. >> what's the big attraction of using a smartphone app much according a car. >> it's convenience. if you live in new york you need it. in san francisco, where it's not as downpat as new york, it's convenient. >> it's not necessarily a matter of cost, which we'll get into in a second. a company competing is uber technologies, allow people to press a button and order a car. uber was founded in 2009 in san francisco. uber cars are available in more than 60 cities and 31 countries. we are not talking about new york city. the company is words

$3.4 billion and bought $2.1 million in revenue in 2013. travis is the c.e.o. and cofounder. what are the pros and cons of using a service like uber? >> it is a little more expensive, but there are three tiers of pricing. it's close to what a yellow cab can cost. the convenience is so, so good. your credit card is preloaded. so it takes out the pain. >> is a criticism that the formula is based on demand. if you are in the middle of a snow storm, which we have seen a lot of, calling an uber cab can cost you hundreds. >> yes, the pricing is controversial. the founder is adamant it will stay. his stance is uber should be reliable even if it's sometimes costly. they try to - they boost prices

to keep the command in check during a snow storm. >> other apps utilize the social aspects of travelling. >> tell us about lift and halo. >> list is traditionally known as the ride for the 99%. uber is seen as the ride for the 1%. if you want to be in a classy black car and don't want to talk to the drivers, take an you ber. take a list, if you want a frepdly performance. the car has a pipping moustache. >> are they professional drivers. >> we have an extra seat, pick up someone. they do background cross-examination. it's supposed to be a safe ride, but it's you and me versus a professional black car drive. >> and halo. >> it started in london, it has

come to the united states. it's emailing for cabs. so it's only cans, no black cars at all. >> how are these hurting the taxis and the limo industry. chicago drivers are suing the city for not regulating uber. >> uber is running into a lot of issues. they receive a lot of cease and desist. it's taking business away from the yellow cab service, and they don't like them, but it's adding a new lair of people who never took black cars - they are adding a piece to the car. >> it's a sign of the times. thank you for being with us. here is a look at the stories we are following. >> screp secretary of state john

kerry is meeting with crimea officials and the u.n. >> venezuela remembers hugo chavez a year after his death. >> witnesses accused of collaborating in the oscar pistorius trial. he's on trial for premeditated murder, accused of killing his girlfriend. >> it's one of the greatest archeological trashures, what is be being down to protect the ancient city of pompeii from blood damage >> storms and rain - i'll let you know what better weather will arrive. >> dell and i will be back in 2.5 minutes. we leave you with pictures of the mardi gras in new orleans.

you can see clean-up is needed there. and lent begins. good morning. >> what's clear is that people don't just need protection, they need assistance.

so many money stories sound complicated. but don't worry. i'm here to take the fear out of finance. every night on my show i break down the confusing financial speak and make it real. >> international pressure mounts against russia's role in crimea, the series of high level talks taking plagues today to ease tensions. >> dealing with worries and threats, families of eight craneian sailors dealing with the standoff between russia and crimea. >> venezuelan protestors demand the resignation of the president as the country marks the anniversary of former leader hugo chavez's death. how the country has changed over

the last year. >> when i fall down, then i get back up. >> pedaling through life with perseverance, how you a circus is helping kids through some very tough times. >> good morning, welcome to aljazeera america. >> diplomatic efforts to help the crisis in ukraine off to a shake. >> i start. >> international officials are trying ease the standoff. secretary of state john kerry is scheduled to hold talks with russian and eight craneian officials in france. he arrived in paris after being in kiev tuesday. >> nato leaders are meeting in brussels today. there are fears the conflict could spread across the region.

russian foreign minister held seahawks with e.u. officials in spain, saying russia is not seeking a conflict. >> they were at this location and special measures were taken to be vigilant. at our president said, we will not allow bloodshed or attempts against those living in ukraine and russian citizens who live in ukraine. >> let's go to our jennifer glasse. we are hearing conflicts reports about ukrainian officials surrendering to russians. >> that came from the crimean prime minister saying they were surrendering, i've been traveling around this naval base and city for the past couple of days, i've been in the region for more than a week and what

we're seeing, the naval officers intend to remain loyal to ukraine. >> a russian show of force in ukrainian waters, this is the bay where the blockade of ukraine's fleet is meant to pressure sailors to switch sides, pledge allegiance to crimea and its pro russian government. the crew has refused. onboard are about 120 ukrainian sailors, one of them is named vedem. his wife irene prays for safety. she worries there will be a war. at least she can talk to him on the phone, but others are calling the sailors, too, with threats. they said you'd better sign the agreement, she says, we know where your family lives, we know your children's school. i ask her who's calling. she says they don't identify themselves. >> another sailor's wife shows me photos of her husband.

she's surprised by the hostility here. >> my friend said my husband will be driven out of here she says because this will soon be russia. she says there is no place for us, you are ukrainian, go serve in ukraine. across the street, russian soldiers are setting up camp. that's what the russians have done across crimea. this russian position overlooks the ukrainian navy's field communications base. inside, the chief of staff said his commander is talking with the russians outside his gate. >> we're talking the same language, we understand each other, but, but the situation, you can see from the outside on the top of the abandoned building, you can see the position, the fire position and it's point our direction. >> he refuses to change the

flag. >> nobody wants to be betrayal. >> ukraine has only one submarine, blocked by the russians. the ships of both naives still sit side by side but only the russian boats can move in this standoff on the sea. >> that standoff isn't just on the sea. we're seeing it at bases and at the military headquarters of the naval headquarters here, the top ukrainian naval officials wanted to hold a press conference this afternoon. the russians wouldn't let them in, russian forces and pro russian supporters outside that base after two hours of negotiating they had to cancel the press conference. the top officials of the ukrainian navy not allowed to talk to the press. >> there was a show of support yesterday for a ukrainian vessel in turkey. what can you tell us about that? >> that's right. now that's ukraine's flagship.

i'm going to try to get this right. it's their biggest ship, it was actually in the mediterranean. it's on its way back here. we saw it come through yesterday. people came out and cheered it on, the officers came out nearly flying the ukrainian flag, clearly showing that it remains loyal to ukraine, ukraine's navy very much smaller than russia's. two war ships block every entrance to the boy. you've seen the ships around here, russia very big show of support clearly outnumbering the very small ukrainian navy black sea fleet. >> reporting from ukraine, thank you. >> secretary of state john kerry is in paris today trying to diffuse the ukrainian crisis. he will hold face-to-face talks with his russian counter part

today. phil ittner is in kiev. that meeting was supposed to be about syria but no doubt ukraine will be the topic of conversation. >> yeah, absolutely, del, i think ukraine will probably take over from syria and take center stage in paris. we are also hearing this hour that the e.u. hit of security catherine ashton will be meeting with them. the e.u. is saying she will come later, she is scheduled to meet with the ukrainian prime minister tomorrow, as well, so an awful lot of diplomatic work going on as we speak. >> there are still protestors on the ground behind you in independence square. are they listening and how concerned are they? >> del, they are paying very close attention as you can well

imagine but we are hearing concerns from people on the square, concerned that their fate may be out of their own hands. they continue to come out on to the square. with secretary of state john kerry was here yesterday, they conveyed to him don't forget it while you talk with moscow, we're the ones that are going to have to deem with the consequences of it. they said when you go to paris, please take that message with you. >> they gave me a deep personal sense of how closely linked the people of ukraine are to not just americans, but people all across the world, who today are asking for their rights, asking for the privilege to be able to live defining their own nation, defining their futures. >> now the people say that they will continue to come out on to the square here, they will continue to come out also to

send a message to the world not to be forgotten, but also because there are going to be presidential elections in may and they will continue to be here until that comes. dell. >> aljazeera's phil ittner in kiev today, phil, thank you very much. >> the white house is putting the pressure on russia on several fronts. lisa stark continues our coverage from washington. lisa, the president calling out russian president vladimir putin over his presence in crimea. what is he saying? >> president obama said putin's meddling is raising suspicion and concern in neighboring countries, likely to drive them even further away from russia, so he calls it not a very smart move strategically, the president saying that putin's insistence that his actions are not violating international law, that is "not fooling anybody." >> president obama puts on the pressure in his bid to isolate russia over what he calls its

aggression in crimea. he hopes another option gains traction. >> we are calling for a deescalation of the situation and international monitors that can go into the country right away. >> this is what the president is calling the off ramp solution, a way out of the crisis for russian president putin, who says he reserves the right to use his forces in crimea. >> if we make this decision, that would be solely to protect ukrainian citizens. >> that's what the so-called off ramp does, according to president obama, allowing international observers to take the place of russian forces, and protect the rights of the russian-speaking population in crimea. the white house envisions three scenarios, a dangerous escalation with russia moving into eastern ukraine, the other russia holding firm just in crimea and finally, a peaceful solution resulting in an end to the stalemate. even if president putin

continues to see the formation of a new government in ukraine as anything but legal. >> the definition of what has happened in key every and ukraine as a whole can be the only one, an unconstitutional coupe and military seizure of power. >> tough talk on all sides. diplomatic efforts continue. president putin greed to this nato meeting in brussels to discuss ukraine and the russian ambassador to nato will be attending that meeting, so lots of maneuvering on all fronts. stephanie. >> absolutely, the u.s. is also one of 15 countries sending military observers to crimea. what can you tell us about that? >> the ukrainian military asked for these observers, to spend a week in the country under the organization for security and cooperation in europe. each country would select two military observers. they would first go to ukraine.

the hope is to get into the crimea region. the question is whether russia will allow that, even though they don't need russian permission they are in control of all access to crimea. this mission hopes to go as early as today to ukraine and make its way into crimea. >> movement on many fronts. lisa stark for us with the perspective in washington. >> taking a look at headlines around the world, p.c. magazine saying the conflict could spill over into cyberspace. what makes this fascinating is while the people in ukraine are out numbered militarily by russia, they are better hackers is what everybody is saying, so it is one of these things where the youth control the inner net and they are the ones getting all the crucial intelligence on russia. >> the boston globe has an opinion piece focusing on ukraine's choice between european union and russia.

it says it shouldn't be forced on ukraine, comparing this to solomon's choice, the biblical solomon who had to choose how to divide a baby between two mothers. the west and east of pulling ukraine apart. >> some analysts are saying what they are saying now in europe is you have to stop dividing countries. if you go back to who is related to who and who is from where, europe will be divided into so many small pieces, it will never be a combined can'tment. they say that somewhere you have to put you a stake in the ground and stay stop with the division. >> the controversy is who is propelling this divide, whether it is europe or moscow. >> also sports as a metaphor despite the chaos in ukraine, soccer gearing up for a friendly match with the u.s. the game was moved out of ukraine and car key and will be played in cypress today. they wanted to make sure the

game took place. >> they weren't sure, but it is an important practice game for the u.s. team. stay with us all day for continuing coverage. the motivation behind vladimir putin's involvement and reaction to what he is saying publicly about the conflict. >> former president bill clinton is being honored in ireland. today he's in belfast where he'll open a school of leadership in his name at queens university. the institute is dedicated to his role in bringing peace to northern ireland. >> a new poll finds voters are warming to the idea of hillary clinton as president. the former first lady that not announce said she'll seek the top spot in 2016. 38% say there is a good chance they will vote for her.

in 2008, one in two people said her ties to bill would hurt her chances. >> primary voters headed to the polls in texas to pick rick perry's replacement. wendy david easily picked up the democratic nod. in the texas senate race, john cordon beating tea party candidate steve stockman. >> south africa's blade runner oscar pistorius covered his ears and went with the first prosecution witness. the neighbor said she heard a woman screaming followed by the sound of gunshots. this does contradict his claim that he accidentally shot his girlfriend, thinking she was an intruder, a legal analyst warns this trial has a long way to go. >> as a prosecutor, you would

always want to introduce evidence that really creates a good impression and good start for the court. i think the state has really done that by this witness. this witness started with a bang, evidence was really startling. >> he made history becoming the first paralympic athlete to compete in the summer olympic games. he faces a possible life sentence if convicted. >> there is widespread violence against women in the european union. the agency for fundamental rights interviewed women in 48 countries, one in three reporting physical or sexual abuse beginning in the age of 14, one in 20 said they were raped, 75% of women and in top management positions reported they were the victim of sexual harassment. >> we see these things aren't dealt with, so women who have got gender equality apparently seem to have come up against things in their every day

experiences which are not being addressed. >> the report calls for prevention and awareness campaigns. >> it's an ancient city with a tumultuous history. >> pompeii taking steps to protect the archeological site from another battle with mother nature. >> kentucky's governor at odds with the state attorney over same-sex marriage. >> $7,460,000,000, what it could mean for the future of space exploration and a mission resembling a block buster movie. >> a look at the crowded highways of chicago, snow covered roads, it is 19 degrees there this morning.

>> what's being done to protect the radio ins of pompeii, but

first temperatures we expect across the country today. >> it's another cold start to the day across the midwest but at least we are sitting above zero this morning for most locations. you factor in wind and it's going to feel colder, 14 in minneapolis, teens in chicago. it will be closer to where we should be this time of year, today we'll get into the 30's by thursday and another cool down. the deep south was dealing with freezing rain. temperatures are off to a better start in new orleans, 43 degrees and we'll see them warm across texas, as well. back to you. >> residents in new jersey say it felt like a bomb, a townhouse exploding killing one and causing several injuries. contractors damaged a gas line

digging in the area. shortly after utility crews to fix the problem, houses blew up, dozens of homes were damaged. >> italy is dipping into emergency funds to save the roman radio ins of pompeii after damaged by heavy rain. the government will spend nearly $3 million to repair the ancient city. why the country is struggling to preserve the archeological treasure. >> in pompeii, history just repeated itself when an arch of the temple of venus and a wall fell to the ground, it was only the last of a long series of collapses in recent years all blamed on official neglect and mismanagement. that's why government officials are looking into the latest collapse, but pompeii expert says the site is suffering from the same old problems.

>> what pompeii needs is every day maintenance. it's a problem that dragged on for years, needs brick layers, mosaic restore artists to stop the crumbling. >> the preservation is marked by problems since the discovery in the 19th century, almost 2,000 years after an eruption buried it under volcanic ash. most recently, the threat is from the bad weather that swept across europe. >> when it rains for many days, the main acres are archeological site yet to be excavated becomes water logged, then the soil pushes against the radio ins and this is the result. >> in 2013, the european union pledged around $150 million to pay for sweeping restoration with state-of-the-art technology. one year on, only one of the 39

planned works have been completed. >> the restoration work is in progress. in the next few days we'll secure entire areas to make sure there won't be further collapses. >> with pompeii falling into further ruin, time is running out before this site really does become history. >> many people consider pompeii a symbol of the world's history. in 79a.d., the roman city was smooth erred by volcanic ash, lost and not discovered for centuries. 2.5 million tourists visit the city every year. >> payroll firm a.d.p. reporting on private sector employment, economists expecting an increase of 153,000 jobs in february. they say that is down from 175,000 jobs in january.

>> i think we're seeing companies spending money on making their businesses more economical and more efficient, but they are laying off the higher paid workers and generally hiring lower paid workers to execute their systems. >> today's private employment report is a prelude to the monthly jobs report. the labor department releases that on friday. >> wall street looking to open mixed today, do you futures flat after two days of big swings. the dow jones industrial average beginning the day at 16,395, the s&p with a new record, 1873, the nasdaq 4351. asian markets ending lower, make key rising more than 1%. european strikes posting slightly losses. >> a legal victory for chef ron, a federal judge ruling an

environmental damage judgment in ecuador was tainted by fraud and corruption. this makes it less likely the plaintiffs will collect the $9.5 billion award. villagers claim texaco acquired by chef ron contaminated an oil field in ecuador. >> chrysler no longer needs a loan from canada to fund its assembly line in the country. it with drew its request to avoid being used as a political football. chrysler will use its own money. it would keep its options open, according to the c.e.o. >> to today's big number, which is out of this world, $7,460,000,000 is the proposed budget for nasa for 2015. >> that figure is $185 million less than the budget in 2014, and it is $600 million more than 2013. >> here's what the budget

includes, $3 billion to run the international space station, $645 million, the new james web space telescope, replacing the hubble telescope and $133 million for an asteroid mission by 2025. bruce willis is on stand by, nasa saying the trip would be a stepping stone toward a mission to mars. >> concern over mixed messages from russia's president. >> vladimir putin said he doesn't want bloodshed but not ruling out military action in ukraine just yet. we'll talk about the motivation behind his stance in crimea. >> venezuela is a country divided, some calling for the ouster of the president as others remember his predecessor. how things have changed in the year since the death of hugo chavez. >> a little boy learning some

lessons in life from a unicycle. >> kenya is home to one of the great dynasties in all of sports. we'll look at how they intend to keep their dominance going for another generation.

>> no doubt about it, innovation changes our lives. opening doors ... opening possibilities. taking the impossible from lab ... to life.

on techknow, our scientists bring you a sneak-peak of the future, and take you behind the scenes at our evolving world. techknow - ideas, invention, life. on al jazeera america >> good morning, welcome back to aljazeera america. i'm stephanie sy. ahead in our next half hour, some of the possible reasons behind russian president vladimir putin's actions in ukraine. also, remembering hugo chavez one year after his death, how things have changed for the people of venezuela. >> in the next hour, dispel common myths about allergies. first, secretary of state john kerry is in paris for face-to-face talks with his russian counterpart. they will attempt to diffuse the ukraine crisis diplomatically.

tuesday, kerry toured a memorial in kiev to victims killed in the deadly clashes there. while in kiev, kerry pledged a billion dollars loan to the new ukrainian government and confirmed america's solidarity with ukraine. >> united states will stand by the ukrainian people as they build the strong sovereign and democratic country they deserve. >> that meeting set to take place in just a few hours in paris. a political science professor at rutgers university joins us, good morning. >> good morning. >> we watched yesterday as vladimir putin held an hour long news conference, some saying it was rambling and politely suggesting that putin may have lost his grip on reality, german chancellor angela merkel saying she thinks he is living in another world. are they right? >> i think absolutely. he is living in the 1930's, and russia if you like at this point in time is similar to germany

and mr. putin is talking as if he were identical to adolf hitler. keep in mind what he said yesterday, for one thing, he reserves to himself the right to intervene militarily at any time anyplace in ukraine, not just in defense of rugs, but also in defense of ukraineens. that's essentially a cart blanche to invade any country. >> saying he reserves the right to protect his people as if ukraine is still part of the old soviet union. >> putin has never like so many other russian elites accepted the legitimacy of an independent ukraine and he as far as he's concerned doesn't even consider ukrainians to be a separate people. essentially, he's marching in to defend his own. he also said and this is absolutely shocking, that he is "not worried by war." no leader other than adolf hitler and perhaps the ruler of

north korea would say that kind of thing in today's world. >> should we be worried about vladimir putin's mental capacities or are we seeing a situation where some suggest we are looking at a russian leader who is isolated and insulated and only speaks to people who tell him what he wants to hear? >> i think it's both. clearly he is insulated, isolated, although at the same time, do keep in mind the russian security services have penetrated ukraine, so he must have first class intelligence, far better than we have. at the same time, considering the kinds of things that he's done and said including the invasion of crimea, one has to doubt that this is an individual who is in full possession of his mental capacities. that of course is the scariest prospect whatsoever, because that means that talking to him and suggesting to him that his actions could have very serious consequences for russia, above all, may not be com presencable

to him. >> let's listen to a portion of that news conference yesterday in which he said that he didn't want conflict but doesn't rule it out. >> if we make this decision, that would be solely to protect ukrainian citizens and that any military personnel just try and shoot at the wrong people and we will be behind those people, not in front of them, but behind. let them just try to shoot at women and children. i would want to look at the eyes of those who would order that in ukraine. >> there was no violence in ukraine from november all the way up until there was firing object the protestors in independence square. after that, the parliament moved to disband parliament to change things in ukraine and things were going along well, until vladimir putin moves into the crimean region. is he not the one that is causing the problem, does he know this? >> i don't think he does. again, if he's in full

possession of his mental capacities, he might. given the fact that he's -- >> you make it sound as if you think he's not playing with a full deck. >> that's frankly what i'm saying. i'm worried about that. if he was, he couldn't be doing the kind of things he has done, he wouldn't be threatening to engage in a full scale land war. you have to understand, if and when he decides to invade ukraine, let me say if, put an optimistic spin on this, that the result in a massive land war equivalent to germany's attack on the soviet union in 1941 or the attack on poland in 1939. it would result in hundred was thousands of casualties and the destruction of one of the major countries in europe. he talks about that as if it were something not to worry about. any person even an ounce of humanitarianism should be

deathly afraid of this kind of prospect. instead, he said he challenges the other side to shoot. did you notice in that clip that you ran, he says he would go in to protect ukrainian citizens. ukrainian citizens have expressed statements that they do not need any of his protection. nevertheless, he believes they do. >> thank you for being with us. he is the political science professor at rutgers university. >> thank you for having me. >> three aljazeera staff members detained in egypt made their second court appearance today, accused of having links to a terrorist organization and detained since late december. aljazeera continues to call for their immediate release. >> aljazeera staff has been in this egyptian prison for two months. they were reporting events as they unfolded in egypt. peter is an award winning correspondent who has reported across africa for years.

before aljazeera, he reported for the bbc. his colleague is an accomplished author and journalist who worked for cnn, new york times and red cross. a producer spent most of last year working for aljazeera. egyptian authorities accused them of working against state security of broadcasting false information and having ties with a terrorist organization. aljazeera rejects all those charges, and wants the men released immediately. >> we categorically deny that they were involved in any kind of malicious spreading of lies about egypt or including with a terrorist organization. >> the first hearing took place february 20. it was adjourned. wednesday's session is their second appearance in court. aljazeera also demands the release of correspondent from our sister channel. he has been in detention since last july. family members of the accused

joined journalists and members of the public in a worldwide day of protest in support of the four men and their profession. aljazeera. >> the united nations also i should a statement this week expressing concern about our detained colleagues. >> the streets of venezuela will be filled with celebration and protest today, supporters of the late venezuelan leader hugo chavez honoring the anniversary of his death. this follows weeks of anti-government protest aimed at removing his successor. we are in caracas to find out how things have changed. >> the poster reads "chavez lives" and a year after the former president died, there are thousands all over venezuela. this one looking down on the rally by the opposition that's battling against his successor, nicholas meduro. he may be gone, but for from

forgotten. >> he was the most noble man i've ever known. >> chavez was our brother, father, friend, liberator. >> for some, the former president has a saint like memory. his death is being commemorated. >> just how much is the president hiding behind the image of his old friend, the former president chavez and however with him the government go to use that image to keep their revolution alive? >> those are the questions asked in a bitter conflict between a growing opposition movement and the president's government which is struggling to tackle rising crime and rampant inflation. >> he was a man with qualities that can't go passed on which no

political marketing can copy since it was part of his charisma, which is something natural, impossible to explain and which no one has, neither the president nor the opposition leader can fill chavez's shoes. >> new posters and murals are constantly appearing. venezuelans, for those who loved or hated him, chavez's memory lives on. aljazeera, caracas. >> george mar is a history and politics professor at drexel university, also an author and we're happy to have him join us from philadelphia this morning. sir, on the chavez anniversary, protests are still going strong. thee weeks later, what does it bring to mind? >> the reality is that actually, i think i disagree with your correspondent that this opposition movement is growing

it is starting a dwindle out. they have to compete with the celebrations of his death and memory that is going to blanket the political terrain for the next week at least. these movements have begun to die out partly because of the strategies of these movements which sought to unseat a democratically seated president. it's going to be very difficult for these movements to claim any of that legacy. >> how much of the population do the protestors speak for and are these temporary protests sort of in response to economic conditions to a high crime rate or are they going to be more steadfast than that? >> well, on the surface of it, these are about crime and they are about, you know, economic scarcity, but it's been pointed out on several occasions that there was crime and economic scarcity with local elections.

the opposition is trying to take over the population that didn't vote. the reality is tactics used especially burning and barricades that are in some cases very violent have really chased away a lot of the middle of the road supporters they might have had otherwise. >> since this is the anniversary of chavez's death, lets talk about that legacy. according to numbers from the world bank from 2004 to 2012, when chavez was in power, the percent of venezuelans living below the poverty line was reduced by more than half from almost 54% to 25%. can things like this be attributed to chavez and what has changed in venezuela since the chavez era, which only ended two years ago? >> certainly part that have reduction of poverty has to do with the fact that oil prices dramatically increased, this was part of the approach by chavez,

the rebuilding of opec allowed oil prices to rise and political strategy, the government policy of diverting more and more of that oil wealth toward the poor was really a large part of that chavez helped to use to reduce poverty so much. it goes beyond that, the legacy. chavez stood for the creation of a different form of democracy, the creation of local democratic councils and workers cooperatives and building a different kind of venezuelan state that he called the communal state that would be decentralized and people participate more on an every day level in decisions affecting their lives. >> obviously we're seeing very different societies and governments when we talk about comparing venezuelan events there to events in ukraine, egypt or thailand. do you see any parallels in those movements? >> i think the first thing to bear in mind is that on the one hand, the protestors in venezuela are attempting to take

advantage of these kind of comparisons. we live in a moment of global up surge, from the arab spring to the occupy movement in which people are in the streets. in the venezuelan opposition is taking advantage of that, tweeting it, saying this is the next step in a global process toward democracy. the opposition leadership being embraced by these movements in many ways represent a large step back yard toward savage capital. >> that chavez grew out of in response to. >> joining us from philadelphia this morning, thank you, sir. >> a lot of people believe there might be a social media contagion where we're seeing all of these protests linking around the globe and feeding on each other. that was a fascinating answer. >> some good news out there finally for the country dealing

with all of that cold snow and ice. >> for more on the national forecast, let's bring in ebony. >> we still have that arctic air mass around. this is what we've gotten used to here especially around the great lakes surrounded by temperatures well below the freezing point. canada, 20 below zero and on the u.s. side just at zero. much of the great lakes is frozen over, right now 91%. as we zoom around lake superior. it's 95% frozen. it's only been entirely frozen twice, back in 1973 and 1996. heading into chicago, we are going to see a nice warming trend. temperatures should at least get into the low 40s. we'll get there by the time we hit friday, but today, another cold one with snow on tap. we're seeing that snow for the early morning drive. luckily, we're not going to see

a lot, but already one of our snowiest winters on record and we are going to be adding to those records, around one to three inches of snow is expected, dealing with mixed precipitation across north carolina and it's all rain along the gulf coast. >> the kentucky governor says he is hiring outside counsel to defend the state's ban on same-sex marriage after the state's attorney general refused to file an appeal. he is the seventh attorney general nationwide to take a stand. >> kentucky's attorney general choked back tears explaining why he would not represent the state in its appeal to defend a ban on as i am sex marriage. >> i had a make a decision i could be proud of. for me, now, and for my daughter's judgment in the future. >> his decision is at odds with fellow democratic governor, but right in line with a february decision from u.s. district

judge john heyburn who called tuck tug's ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional because it treated gays and lesbian persons differently in a way that demeans them. the governor is appealing that decision, saying he will hire our counsel to represent in this case, adding same-sex marriage answered states should ultimately be decided by the u.s. supreme court in order to bring finality and certainty to this matter. conway called the appeal to keep the ban the state's way of defending discrimination. >> that i will not do. >> according to his boss, u.s. attorney general eric holder, he does not have to. holder said as much in a recent speech at the national association for attorneys general. >> we must endeavor to uphold and advance the values that once led our forebearers to declare that all of created equal and entitled to equal opportunity. >> that's exactly what conway says his decision is all about. >> in the end, this issue is

really larger than any single person. >> in fact, he says it's about placing people over politics. aljazeera. >> the latest poll shows a record high 59% of americans now support same-sex marriage. >> in sports, little the equivalent of the chicken and egg, which came first, kenyan long distance runners or the nation. >> all i know is they're good. >> exactly. you look at the olympics, in marathons across this country and across the globe, kenyans have dominated. they have been the dominant power in the sport of lange distance running. we show you a region of kenya where the next generation of runners hope to break through. >> children at this rural school in western kenya start their routine evening training

session. they're the school's best runners. this region is famous for producing top world athletes. so the children from the primary school, most from poor backgrounds hope to soon join that list of the running elite. >> this is the best female returning so far. >> i started running when i was in class four. i work very hard. i want to be like my favorite athlete and assist my family and village. >> gone are the days when running here was just for fun. it's still a passion of many children, but now loaded with pressure to perform and bring in the big money. winning international races is lucrative. those who have made it have millions of dollars in prize money and sponsor ships. >> this region has produced many running champions and because of

that, there's a lot of pressure on children to follow that route and win medals. >> they assume by action selling in athletics they will turn out to be bread winners in their family. >> like in any other sport, many don't make it beyond the dirt tracks back home but those who do graduate to a famous athletics training camp. the town's high altitude attracts thousands of athletes from around the world, known as the home of champions. this man has helped children for over 30 years now, he runs a school credited for the success of kenyan distance runners. >> one of our jobs as mentors of young people is to try to get our young athletes to realize that it's not just all about money. it's not just all about the business of it. it's also about life. it's about your lifestyle.

it's about your values in life. >> back at her home, amy found she got accepted into the training program at the prestigious st. patrick's high school. running to hear is a ticket out of poverty. aljazeera, western kenya. >> that's your look at sports for this hour. >> if i see a kenyan runner, i just quit. >> inner city kids facing a constant threat of gangs and violence are finding an escape. >> some are involved in a circus like program taking them off the streets. >> we still get affected by what's around us. >> a few hours on a day providing one little boy some very big lessons in life.

>> good morning, to aljazeera america. >> let's get a check of the forecast. >> it's soggy across the nest with a spread stream of moisture off the pacific coast. the rain is coming down along coastal areas. this will lead to flood risk across the area, even further inland in idaho. rivers will be on the rise. keep that in mind for travel plans there. the east coast we are watching for rain and mixed bag in north carolina. >> we like to view the world through the eyes of a child. it's a special on going series at aljazeera america we call "being eight." we introduce you to an 8-year-old boy whose family left sudan. he is adjusting to life in chicago and finding balance thanks to a unique program. >> when zacky i can't gets up early, his mom is already gone,

working one of her two jobs. >> i feel proud of her, because she's making money. >> his sister stops by to let him know he is well protected by his family. >> he always has an adult or somebody to rely on, somebody to give him what he needs. >> still, it's a cold walk down streets where gang members compete for supremacy and might seem grim until a sparkling building entrances hint at something special inside. for a few hours each week, zachariah runs away to join a circus. >> i feel like a star, because it's an important part of the show, and plus i get like to do it in front of people and i get to act. >> he doesn't have time to think

about the horrors his family left behind in sudan or the tough environment he's got here in chicago. it's handmaid marquee says it all. cirque esteem it's called, open to kids to age 18. it's on a sliding scale. he is one of dozens of kids who take part from the neighborhood. he learns maybe the most important lesson of all, that in life, you fall, and fall, and fall again, and you keep on going. >> when i fall down, then i get back up, and then like a person helps. >> he understands perseverance, motivation, having perspective, looking forward to things, having plans. >> the unicycle is his favorite, the wire walking the hardest.

there's momentum work tutoring in between the tricks. it's all free for him, but his sister feels what the circus does for him is invaluable. she knows firsthand, she was in it too. >> it doesn't take you completely away from the streets, we're affected by what's around us, but it gives you two hours a day in which you're not. >> his future, he's still juggling that. >> i'd really like to work as a doctor, then i think my boss will give me money so i can give it to charity. i'd like to be a cameraman, and doing it at cirque esteem. >> it is helping him find the best in himself. >> it has been helping kids in chicago since 2001. they offer training on the

trampoline, clown skills and physical comedy. they also help the young performers with their homework. >> secretary of state john kerry is meeting with ukrainian and russian officials today in paris. nato is holding emergency talks with russia and brussels dealing with the situation in crimea. protestors taking to the streets in venezuela as that country remembers former president hugo chavez one year after his death. >> attorneys for oscar pistorius accusing witnesses of clap rating on their testimony. he is accused of killing his girlfriend. >> university students helping children escape the slums of bangladesh, how a free education is helping them stay safe. >> snow and rain make for a snow and slippery start to the day. i'll detail the storms and let you know when improving conditions will arrive. >> dell is back with you in two

minutes. have a great morning. >> as tensions rise in ukraine, al jazeera america is there. >> russian ships only a few hundred feet off the coast... >> with reporters on the ground >> if they give the order to start shooting, they will... >> asking the tough questions... >> why send the troops in now? >> getting you the facts... >> is it possible that crimea is just lost? >> i'm afraid that may be the facts on the ground... >> keeping you informed... >> we have a standoff here... ukanian troops... russian troops... >> special coverage continues right hear on your gobal news leader al jazeera america

>> meeting face-to-face over the cries in ukraine, secretary of state john kerry and russian's foreign minister meet. >> looking back at the anniversary of hugo chavez. >> seeking relief from allergies, a new light on the connection between where you live and why you may suffer. >> these students have a lot of desire to improve themselves.

they want to lift themselves out of the situation they found themselves in. >> getting out of poverty in bangladesh. college students giving children the keys they need to improve their lives. >> good morning, welcome to aljazeera america. i'm dell walt either. secretary of state john kerry is scheduled to meet with russia's foreign minister in transover the tense standoff in ukraine. kerry arriving in paris after talks with ukraine's new government tuesday. the high level meeting is the first between the two countries since russia sent troops into crimea. ukraine claiming russia is offering little assurance of resolution. we have team coverage tracking this crisis now. phil ittner is in kiev, jennifer

glasse and lisa stark in washington. the president taking vladimir putin to task yesterday. what is the president saying now about vladimir putin. >> the president continues to try to work to isolate russia and gather support for the white house point of view. the president pointed out that a host of countries around the world, the e.u., japan, canada and the u.s. all feel as though president putin has violated international law moving in crimea. here's some of what the president had to say. >> president putin seems to have a different set of lawyers making a different set of interpretations, but i don't think that's fooling anybody. i think everybody recognizes that although russia has legitimate interests in what happens in the neighboring state, that does not give it the right to use force as a means of

exerting influence inside of that state. >> now, president obama despite that tough talk is trying to work out a diplomatic solution, spending time talking to germany chancellor merkel, trying to work up a way for vladimir putin to save face. it would involve putting international observers in crimea, have the russians pull back their troops and respecting the right of the ukrainians to choose a new government in may. lots of diplomatic efforts underway. >> is president obama also saying that if vladimir putin is taking a big risk in crimea, what is he talking about? >> i think he's talking about a risk strategically. his neighbors are concerned about this meddling and could

force them to withdraw further from russia. >> lisa stark for us in washington, d.c. for us this morning, thank you very much. secretary of state john kerry is in paris trying to diffuse the crisis in ukraine, set to hold face-to-face meetings with his russian counterpart. that meeting was supposed to be about syria, no doubt they will be talking about ukraine. >> ukraine is the topic of the day, clearly. we already know that secretary of state john kerry met with the british foreign secretary and ukrainian foreign minister. he will be scheduled to meet directly, but in addition to that, the e.u. security chief will be in town. she was supposed to be here today, but decided to go and meet with those two leaders, but her office saying that the postponement, not a cancellation. she'll be back here later. >> there are still protests on the ground in kiev behind you in independence square. are they concerned and how

concerned are they? >> they are listening very closely, del but are concerned for a variety of reasons. they have a feeling they may be losing control of the situation, that their fates may be in the hands of super powers in washington or in moscow, certainly in paris. now, when secretary of state kerry was here yesterday, he met with many of the people on the square and they said to him expressing these very concerns when you go to paris on wednesday, make sure that you take the message with you. >> phil ittner in kiev, thank you very much with that jennifer glasse is in the crimean city, we're hearing a lot of conflicting reports about ukrainians surrendering to officials in russia. what are you hearing about these alleged surrenders? that came from the crimean

minister. he's appointed just last week, not elected. he said he's seeing forces across the peninsula surrender to the russian forces that have surrounded pretty much every base here. i've been across the peninsula the last couple of days and what we're seeing in the naval forces here and around the region, even on the land bases, they are holding their ground, not currenting, so a very, very serious standoff. at the naval headquarters here today, it's been going on for a couple of days, russian fores in uniform right outside of the doors of those military headquarters, where all of the chief military officers have their offices. in front of them are pro russian civilians and they're not letting the officers go in and out. the head of the navy wanted to hold a press conference this afternoon here. they had to negotiate for about two hours. in thent, they wouldn't let the journalists in with that we spoke to one military officer

who had gone out not knowing the blockade was going to happen and can't get back in. he's one of the chief officers of the ukrainian navy. he said they are not represented by a country, maybe we should try to disarm them. the ukraineens know they're out manned and outgunned here, russian ships blockading this port behind me. >> the people of turkey wanted to let the ukrainian navy know they are not alone. the show of support by the turkish navy with rewards to the ukrainian navy. >> ukraine's biggest war ship came through yesterday, flying the ukrainian flag to show it

remains loyal contradicting claims of surrender. >> reporting live from ukraine, thank you very much. >> a reminder for updates on all the breaking news concerning it is crisis in ukraine, go to our web page and check our live blog at aljazeera.com. >> u.s. calling for a war crimes investigation into the death of thoses of civilians in srilanka. up to 40,000 civilians were killed after being ordered into a no fire zone by the government. >> israel has intercepted rockets bound for gaza, raiding

a cargo ship on the red sea finding rockets said to have a a range of 100 miles. if those had fallen into militant hands, all of israeli would have been within range. israel has long accused tehran of applying arms to opponents in the region. that cargo is being taken to israeli shores. >> 20 people killed, 90 injured in nine separate explosions in iraq. several blasts were car bombs, 2i.e.d.'s targets shia neighborhoods. it's unclear if they were all related. >> three aljazeera staff members making their second court appearance in egypt. this was the scene as dozens of foreign journalists were there to cover the proceedings. they are accused of having links to a terrorist organization, being detained now since late

december. aljazeera rejects all of the charges. we continue to call for their immediate release. >> kentucky's top democrats are divided on the issue of same-sex marriage. the governor saying that he is hiring outside counsel to defend the state's ban after the state's attorney general refused to file an appeal. we are starting to see more and more attorney generals doing this. >> yes, this is the seventh state attorney general to refuse to defend part of the state ban on gay marriage after a federal judge found it unconstitutional. this comes as public opinion nationwide is gaining momentum in favor of the legalization. a record high 59% of americans support same-sex marriage, compared to 34% of people opposed. even in the 33 states that prohibit same-sex marriage, public opinion leans in support of it with 53%. those who oppose, 40%. even though kentucky bans gay

marriage, the tide may be turning there, as well. >> kentucky's attorney general jack conway choked back tears as he explained why he would not represent the state in its appeal to defend a ban on same-sex marriage. >> in the final analysis, i had to make a decision i could be proud of. for me now, and for my daughter's judgment in the future. >> he is add odds with the governor, but his stance in line with a february decision from u.s. district judge who called kentucky's ban on same-sex marriages unconstitutional because it treated gay and lesbian persons differently in a way that demeans them. the governor is appealing that decision, saying he will hire other counsel to represent it in this case, though he added same-sex marriage in states should be ultimately decided by the u.s. supreme court in order to bring finality and certainty to this matter. conway called kentucky's people

to keep the ban the state's way of defending discrimination. >> that i will not do. >> according to his boss, u.s. attorney general eric holder, he does not have to. he said as much in a recent speech at the national association for attorneys general. >> we must endeavor to uphold and advance the values that once led our forebearers that all of created equal and entitled to equal opportunity. >> that's exactly what conway said his decision is all about. >> this issue is really larger than any single person. it's about placing people over politics. >> kentucky's governor said he respects the deep and strong emotions on both sides of the issue. for now, the judge's order is on hold until march 20. >> lounge has this ban on gay marriage been in effect in kentucky? >> in 2004, 75% of kentuckyens voted to approve this. to give you an idea of how

public opinion has changed, a poll taken that same year showed 38% of americans supported legalizing gay marriage versus 59% against it. ten years later, 2014, those in connection virtually flipped. >> thank you very much. >> primary voters are heading to the polls in texas to pick a replacement for governor, abbot beating out other candidates will face wendy davis, widely expected to win the democratic primary. she is the first female gubernatorial nominee since ann richards. >> i am ready to fight for you and to fight for every hard working texan across the state. >> i need you on my side all the way to november 4, when we declare victory as the next governor for the great state of texas. >> in the texas senate race, incumbent republican breezing through primaries.

he called the win a victory for the full spectrum of texas republicans. >> as i've seen and suspected tonight, texans continue to be practical in their approach, looking for solutions, not just speeches. >> his last minute decision to challenge grabbing national attention. he ran a campaign seen as lackluster, even his tea party constituents, he will face david allamiel in november. >> the former first lady hasn't announced that she'll run in 2016 but if she were to run, 38% say they may vote for her. in 2008, one in three said her ties to bill clinton would hurt her chances of winning. >> winter's frosty grip on the

country starting to loosen a bit. >> in places that were dealing with freezing rain and a cold start all the way down to the gulf coast this morning, five to 10 degrees colder, mainly from texas into the southeast. with that milder air in place, we're going to see rain, possibly thunderstorms later in the day into florida. this morning, we are starting with a little frozen precipitation, freezing rain coming down into eastern areas of north carolina. that's going to taper off as the morning wears on and temperatures start to rise. another area that's going to get soaked, the pacific northwest. we've been watching the stream of moisture coming in off the pacific but now are watching this counter clockwise flow here. that's our next low that will approach the coastline as we get into the evening overnight. we are dealing with heavy rain, possibly a few collapse of thunder here as well. as we get into the late night hours into the coast, flooding concerns with three to

five inches of rain expected. higher elevations will have snow with avalanche warnings in place for mountainous areas of washington or gone and western montana. upper midwest, winter is still hanging on. we're starting with snow around chicago. it's moving in across the lower great lakes, only about an inch, possibly localized areas could see four inches, but light snow making for a slow ride into work. >> defense secretary chuck hagel set to face congress over his budget. why one fighter jet has been a bone of contention for the pentagon and a multi-billion dollar problem for taxpayers. >> russia facing growing international pressure over its presence in ukraine. why germany is walking the tight rope what when it comes to a confrontation with moscow. >> those of us who suffer from allergies, some may be more at risk for developing symptoms at an early age.

>> good morning, welcome back to aljazeera america. a congressional hearing on the defense budget getting underway

in just about an hour. defense secretary chuck hagel schedule would to testify. last week, he announced pentagon plans to shrink the army to levels not seen since world war ii. large defense cuts are expected to increase the number of 35 fighter jets being ordered by the navy. as rosalind jordan reports, those planes are behind schedule and billions of dollars over budget. >> the joint strike fighter, better known as the f35 is supposed to be all things to all branches of the u.s. military. able to evade enknee radar, capable of super sonic speed, and able to land and take off like a helicopter when required, since the pentagon unveiled it, turning it into a fully capable jet has been problematic. >> almost every hardware program costs twice as much, is delivered so slowly it's twice as long as when they said they'd

deliver it and gives you half the performance you thought you would have at the beginning. >> the special helmet meant to see threats from everywhere makes them did i see and could cause a crash. the stealth coating melts off near the tail at super scannic speeds and reveals it to enemy trackers. recent ground testing caused serious cracks in the bulkhead of the version designed for the marine corps. those are just some of the problems in a program now costing taxpayers $392 billion over its lifetime, 70% more than originally projected. while pilots are conducting test flights, not a single jet is ready to go into combat. one day, the pentagon says it will buy more than 2500 to serve the entire military, but in next year's budget, it's only going to purchase just 34 of them for testing and baseman missions. why so few? congressionally mandated budget

cuts. the defense secretary recently pointed out that every program has to be trimmed to save money. >> the reality of reduced resources and a challenging and changing strategic environment requires us to prioritize and make difficult choices. some of those choices we must make now. >> despite the many problems and the cost overruns, the military has no plans to scrap the f35, arguing current fighter jets are obsolete and others are being developed that may outrun the fleet. >> rosalind jordan, aljazeera, washington. >> the budget calls for retiring the u2 spy plane in favor of one that is remote controlled. >> we are following breaking news on the job market, 139,000

private sector jobs were created in february down from 175,000 jobs in january. the report is a prelude to friday's closely watched monthly jobs report. on wall street, do you futures up after two days of sharp moves investors keeping a close watch on ukraine for developments. dow jones beginning the day at 16,395. the s&p at a new record, 1873. the nasdaq at 4351. asian markets ending lower. japan's nikkei rose more than 1%. >> hackers hitting a bank specializing in bit coin, shutting down after $600,000 worth of its virtual currency was stolen. that is the bank's entire bit coin holdings on line. flexion coin says it can't recover. just last week, another went

bankrupt. >> facebook may be getting into the drone business. facebook is in talks to buy titan aero space as part of its push to get internet access to developing countries. they make solar power drones that could serve as access points high in the sky. the move follows amazon's purchase of systems. >> outside, not so cold today, temperatures easing across the country. let's check the temperatures. >> just yesterday morning new york city started in the low teens. it felt like single digits, but this morning it's 30 degrees. there are some areas, toronto at just nine and albany in the teens. across texas and oklahoma, oklahoma city yesterday at seven degrees, but now right at the freezing point and low 40's around san antonio.

central u.s., today we will make it into the low 50's in houston. we will continue to see that climb through the end of the work week. by friday, 70 degrees for a high right where we should be around houston. >> the state of georgia looking for new ways to reduce the number of juveniles behind bars. there's a new law setting up an alternative to sending kids to detention centers, focused on preventing arrests in the future. the new system could save the state millions of dollars. >> on any given day, more than 2,000 juveniles are confined in youth prisons. within three years of being released, 65% find themselves locked up again, often after committing more serious crimes. >> the problem was putting them in that environment wasn't correcting the problems, it was enhancing their problems. >> state representative wendell willard helped write the new

juvenile laws. he said non-violent offenders are better off being rehabilitated in their homes and communities instead of youth prison where they're often influenced by older, violent offenders. for years, he said the state has overrelied an detention centers because of few resources in communities. >> we found a lot of these children coming into the system were not really bad children. they were doing dumb things. we wanted to find a better way of treating them at the local level. >> under the new law, only the most serious and violent offenders will be held in youth prisons. georgia is following texas and louisiana by diverting juveniles to community based programs to address behavior. >> for example, if that's a runaway for possession of alcohol, rather than having those children detained, there are interventions that will happen between the youth and specific state agencies to get some underlying cause. >> a new juvenile justice

commission is in charge of making sure the programs are effective across the state. the state will save money with this change. instead of spending $9,000 a year to keep one child in a detention center, the community based program will cut the to have it to $3,000 a year. >> the law also prevents judges from sending children to detention centers unless they have four prior convictions and one has to be a felony. critics have said the new set up gives kids too many chances, but former juvenile judge and child advocate points out even though youth offender stay in their communities, they are still monitored. >> they will have to report to the probation officer and to the court on a periodic basis. >> georgia committed more than $5 million each year to expand programs across the state and plans to invest millions more in savings from pure juveniles locked up. within six months, state leader

hope to see the most important return on that investment, more young people less likely to reoffend. >> that new law is expected to save $85 million in the next five years. >> secretary of state john kerry meeting with his russian counter part in paris as the u.s. and moscow hold talks to ease the standoff in crimea. >> venezuela pausing to remember its late leader, hugo chavez. >> giving children a brighter future, the steps some are taking to get them out of the slums and away from selling drugs. >> the people of ukraine will have a soccer match today as their countrymen take on the u.s. why this match is important for both nations.

so many money stories sound complicated. but don't worry. i'm here to take the fear out of finance. every night on my show i break down the confusing financial speak and make it real.

>> good morning, and welcome to aljazeera america. i'm del walters. ahead in our next hour, a new study shows where you live may not matter with allergies. >> leaders in california raise concerns about tackling the drought. >> students helping students in bangladesh, getting an education and better shot at life. >> the diplomatic efforts over ukraine off to a shaky start, international officials taking stabs. russian foreign minister talked about ukraine in spain earlier today. nato members will meet with russian's ambassador a day after poland expressed fears the conflict could spread. there is increasing international pressure on russia

to pull its troops from ukraine. the white house is reaching out to allies including germany. >> it was angela merkel who offered insight on the thinking of russian president saying vladimir putin was living "in another world." merkel has said very little publicly, and that appears to be by design. behind the scenes, white house sources say she is at the center of quiet diplomacy. russia and germany have strong economic ties. germany is the biggest importer of russian gas and oil, some coming through ukrainian pipe lines. russian supplies accounts for 36% of all german gas consumption. through the years, merkel and putin maintained a strong business like relationship. putin speaks flew yo fluent ger.

the two seem to respect each other's toughness. as the cries unfolded, they have spoken several times, most recently when putin agreed with merkel's proposal to open dialogue between russia and ukraine's interim government. a negotiated solution would protect and help germany's economy as much as any other in europe. since the collapse of the soviet union no country has benefited more from eastern ties to europe. several communest speaking countries now serve as production centers and consumer markets for german manufactures. america chem's economic interest with putin could undercut obama's efforts to punish him. while the president and secretary of state john kerry have pushed to impose sanctions, germany for now opposes them. >> obama administration officials are down playing their

disagreements with germany on handling russia, given the view that germany is crucial to by that low mattic solution. to that end, the whites house appears to give angela merkel plenty of room to maneuver with putin in order to try a reach a deal. >> the obama administration canceling a trade mission to moscow and a russian trip to washington, d.c. this week. the n.s.a.'s director said edward snowden's leaks are slowing cyber attacks. one of the biggest task is to protect civilian targets. congress would now be forced to act on changes to surveillance rules since those documents were leaked. snowden will speak next week, taking part via video conference. the discussion on surveillance and on line privacy taking place in austin, texas. snowden is a wanted man in the u.s. on charges of spying and stealing thousands of classified

documents from the n.s.a., giving them to journalists. >> oscar pistorius weeping during his murder trial during the testimony of the first prosecution witness. she said she heard a woman screaming followed by gunshots. it contradicts the claim that he accidentally shot his girlfriend thinking she was breaking in. this trial has a long way to go. >> as a prosecutor, you would always plan your trial ahead and want to introduce evidence that creates a good impression and good start for the court. i think the state has really done that by this witness. this witness started with a bang, the evidence was startling. >> he made history becoming the first paralympic athlete to complete in the regular olympics. he faces life in prison if convicted. >> cell braces and protests in

venezuela today, supporters of hugo chavez honoring the first anniversary of his death following weeks of anti-government protest aimed as removing his successor. 18 people have died in those demonstrations. we report from caracas. >> the poster reads chavez lives and a year after the former president died, there are thousands of them all over venezuela, this one looking down on the rally by the opposition battling against his successor. he may be gone, but hugo chavez is far from forgotten. >> he was the most noble man i have ever known. >> chavez was our brother, our father, our friend, our liberator. >> for some, the former president has a saint like status. this chapel is shrine to his

memory. in the humble neighborhood, for the anniversary of his death is being commemorated. >> just how much is the president hiding behind the image of his old friend, the former president chavez, and however will the government go to use that image to keep their revolution alive? those are the questions asked in a bitter conflict between a growing opposition movement and the president's government, which is struggling to tackle rising crime and rampant inflation. >> he was a man with qualities that k. captain be passed on which no political marketing can copy since it was part of his charisma, something natural, impossible to explain and which no one has. neither the president nor the opposition leader can fill chavez's shoes. >> new posters and murals are constantly appearing for

venezuelans for those to loved or hated him. his memory lives on. aljazeera, caracas. >> closing arguments in the first criminal trial against bernie madoff employees, the jury being told to reject claims. they all played a crucial role in the massive ponzi scheme. next week, the jurors will begin to deliberate. >> california storms bringing 6 billion gallons of water to reservoirs, supplying water for a full year. it is only a drop in the bucket of the drought. the state is still far from the normal 68 billion gallons of rain. the state's governor taking action, signing a relief package, but some of the people who say they need the water most

are worried. >> the state plan has ambitious goals to combat the worst drought in half a century. it would fund clean drinking water and conservation projects, support unemployed farmers paying for food and housing, and as state lawmakers pass the drought relief plan, parts of the state as if on cue saw much-needed rain. the new law brings $15 million to places like the rural community facing a water shortage. the benefits of the law might not trickle down to quick results on the ground. >> my concern is that the governor has said we have a drought emergency, and we need agencies down the line like our regional quality control board to people the same urgency and we're not seeing it. >> the russian river at this time of year would go flowing over high head, instead of dry dry. the representative iris the

city's primary source of water. >> we need to make sure the russian river water flows are significant enough to have the city be able to recharge our well system and also the farmers draw from the river for frost protection. >> that won't help, even if they see steady rain over the next month. it won't be enough to bring the river's levels back up. that's why the city hopes to grab a small partly of some of those millions to completely a pipe project. the pipes would movie psych would water to farmers in the area and can be installedding six to eight weeks if they receive immediate funding. the application process may take too long and come too lately. >> the reality is that it may take too long for people who really need the water. we know in our area that there are farmers that have already written off this year's crop. >> the city welcomes state help but see what's offered as a medium term solution for short

term problems. with the legislation vague about how much red tape those seeking help will need to wade through, for those facing eminent need, it's not quite the relief they hold for. melissa chan, aljazeera, california. >> the governor urges people in california to conserve water. e cigarettes are now band in l.a. in bars, nightclubs, restaurants and other areas. the move gives them the same treatment as traditional tobacco products. new york city having the same ban in effect. supporters say it's meant to protect kids from being addicted to nicotine but opponents say they help kick the habit. >> the united nations looking to example down on legal marijuana, posing a threat to the international fight against drug abuse. the international narcotics board say it deeply regrets the policies in colorado and washington state. >> in washington d.c., it is one

step closer to decriminalizing marijuana, the city council passing a bill that would allow possession and use of marijuana in the privacy of your home. smoking marv in public is still forbidden. the measure would impose civil fines. washington, d.c. mayor will sign the about him if it reaches his desk. >> there's a new study out that says that people in the south aren't the only ones prone to allergies. the national institutes of health say the pref lance did not differ by region, they are spread evenly across the country. people prone develop allergic reactions to whatever is in the environment. children who live in the south had a slightly higher risk. >> an allergy specialist joins us. allergies are a multi-billion

dollars business. $7.9 billion a year is spent on allergies. 55% of americans have at least one, and 30,000 americans visit the emergency room because of food allergies. how will this new study affect all of that? >> i think what's really interesting is previously we thought the allergy is prevalent in the south united states. now it appears the pref lance is equal across the country. in urban communities, allergic to indoor allergens like dust mites and cockroach. >> you find something you were allergic to, just not prone to allergies in that region. >> that's been long known that individuals will move to try to avoid triggers to allergies and two to three years later develop

allergies. this is showing the pref lance is similar across the country. >> what is wrong with a higher rate in the south? >> they linked exposure to indoor allergen, dust mites and cock roaches, at an important point in life, young children spending time inside may be why they're exposed and more likely to develop allergies. once the children are older, then the pref lance seems to be similar. >> why are they different? again, it's an important time of life for development of allergies. part of it is where the children of spending time. children before school age are not spending as much time out of the hold. school age, it is spent at schools, at that time they are exposed to cat and dog

allergens. >> people believe there are regional symptoms. i take the train to washington, i get to philly, i start sneezing. >> there are differences in exposures to poll lens and indoor allergens. they vary between rural and urban communities. this study shows given those differences in exposures, the population is equally likely to develop allergies. >> some say we are more compromised because our parents and their parents, we don't ploy outdoors as much, we seat cleaner food, healthier food, but it has preserve actives and steroids in it. >> there's an emerging hypothesis that we live too clean. >> kids don't have the five second rule anymore, if you drop

it, you have five seconds but that's for another day. >> kids on farms are less likely to become allergic. the other side is the pesticide exposure, chemicals in the environment has increased dramatically. it may be a combination of those two things leading to an increased prevalence to allergies and diseases. >> is it better to let our kids suffer a little bit and get over it or lean on these allergens, the $7.9 billion system set up to make sure we don't knees anymore. >> i don't think we have any practical intervention on hygiene, avoiding chemicals -- >> where are we going to find these? >> canned foods, plastic containers, avoiding those is one thing we can do, as well as i think once you have allergy

symptoms, treating them is important. >> assistant professor of environmental health sciences at columbia university, thanks for being with us. >> too much meat can be as dangerous as smoking for middle age people. a new study show those eating diets high in animal pro teens are four times more likely to die of cancer or diabetes. those who are 66 and older, a higher protein diet had the opposite effect. they were 60% less likely to die of cancer. a high protein diet is one in which there is 20% of our intake coming from proteins. >> the unrest in ukraine affecting sports. we have more on that story. >> with all of the strife in ukraine, it's not surprising that the friendly match between u.s. soccer and ukraine has been plagued by uncertainty.

the two times are set to play today. even the players aren't sure that would happen. >> first a decision was made like that's it, we are not going. then someone called and said the game will take place. i don't know who or what was involved. >> assuming the game goes as scheduled, this is an important warm up for u.s. soccer as this team prepares to compete in the world cup 99 days from now. the ukrainian team will not compete for the world cup, however many consider the ukrainians among the best of the teams that did not qualify. we have more. >> it's a huge one, particular for certain players that are in europe, the core nucleus of this team is actually still in the united states here with mls getting ready for the season. a bunch of the guys in europe, some of the fringe players in particular, this is a big game. considering the tensions around this game, was it going to happen, was it not, it's a big moment for the u.s. to step up and show regardless of

complications, they can still get a good result. >> we'll stick with the world cup. when brazil won the bid for this year's world cup back en2007, the promise was all 12 stadiums would be finished by the end of 2013. just over two months into 2014, only six have actually been completed. that despite nearly round the clock construction. they might not be ready until the opening matches in june. it's not just the stadiums behind schedule, work on airports, roads and urban projects are also in danger of not being done before teams and fans arrive in brazil. fifa says brazil will be ready. >> the golden state warriors played in the eastern conference, they'd have the third best record and be fighting for home court advantage. they had the sixth best record in the western conference. they played indiana tuesday

where the pacers have the best record in the east. six and a half left, paul george's j. pulled i understandy within two. can't fault the defense, it's a great shot. paul george needs a great shot to save the pacers, cannot get it done. they are the only team that have beaten the pacers and heat on the road this year. >> 28 years since michigan basketball had won an outright big 10 title but had a chance to end that streak wednesday if they could beat illinois that held four straight opponents under 50 points. the illini were the ones to hover around the 50-point mark. michigan got a lot more. 24 points including a career best seven three-pointers, michigan wins 84-53. the wolverines are your outright big 10 champs.

>> if syracuse chooses to make an honest video, they need to make tom petties free falling the main song. syracuse has lost four of five as the yellow jackets become the second straight team to beat the second ranked orange 67-62. >> love tom petty. >> not if the song is free falling and you're syracuse. >> true. escaping poverty, students are doing just that in bangladesh trying to find the road to a better life. >> ash wednesday, millions of catholics around the world are marking the lead up to easter. >> the rain and snow falling this morning. i'll have an update on the national forecast.

>> you're looking live in new orleans as crews continue to clean up following mardi gras. they sometimes refer to this day as trash wednesday in the big easy. , to aljazeera america. just ahead, how college students in bangladesh are reaching out and educating the less fortunate among them. >> first, where it might rain and snow across the country. >> a few spots we're focusing our attendance on. in the northwest, we are continuing to get the rain around western washington and oregon. heavy rounds of rain moving in. that will be the trend into the

overnight hours and thursday, things very unsettled as the next storm system moves in. snow in chicago, we've seen it all morning long, it's still in place. conditions will taper from north to south into the late morning hours and by lunch time, we'll be done with the snow. notice back here across nebraska and kansas, snow will be heavy at times, but quick bursts across western areas of kansas is what we're expecting and light snow showers falling in new england. freezing rain in north carolina, now transitioning to all rain. it's wet and stormy across the east and again for thursday. >> the coast guard trying to get the great lakes ready for spring, sending ice cutters into the water to prepare for the shipping season that starts near the end of march. 90% of the great lakes now covered in ice. lake superior even worse, 95%.

that is the most ice it has seen in almost two decades. >> a university students in bangladesh are getting kids into the classrooms, teaching the basics mat and reading to the kids. american of those parents would force them to work. their goal is to make sure no child is left behind. >> he lives in one of the poor slums. his father and mother are day laborers, but he and fellow students have bigger plans. they want to be film makers, doctors and teachers. >> when i grow up, i want to work with cameras like you and take pictures and make movies, because i'm going to school, i'm going to grow up to be smart and i know i can do this p.m. >> he and his friends are pupils at a school run by a few local university students. it's called a free school,

founded by two men. it is a big deal for the children here. there aren't any other schools for them to go to. >> these students have a lot of desire to improve. they want to lift themselves out of the situation they found themselves in. >> the area is notorious as a marketplace for illegal drugs and many kids who live here work in the drug trade. they had to think creatively to keep the children away from the dug money. >> this fruit already thrown away is what these kids eat. they have figured out one of the ways to make sure these kids come to school is to give them food. >> despite the loss of income, most parents are happy the kids are getting an education. >> i won't send my child to work. his childhood is his childhood. it will go away soon. he can work as an adult. i'm going to make sure my son

studies in school. >> it's baby steps so far for a free school, but they have big dreams and so do these kids. >> primary education is accessible in bangladesh but many kids are still sent to work. nearly 5 million children between the ages of 5-15 hold jobs, many with little or no pay. >> ash wednesday today marks the beginning of lent, the 40 day period of fasting. churches like this one in chicago burn the palms and ashes are applied to the foreheads of clicks. ash wednesday in regular operated by lutherans and united methodist, as well. >> that will do it for this edition of aljazeera news. as people around the world celebrate ash wednesday, we shouldn't to share moments last night during mardi gras, the last day as people get in the

last hurrahs before lent begins. real reporting that brings you the world. giving you a real global perspective like no other can. real reporting from around the world. this is what we do. al jazeera america.

>> al jazeera america presents extrodanary documentaries. colin comes from a long line of ferrymen. >> you're a riverman from start to finish... >> now he leaves home to see what life is like on the waters of bangladesh. >> it's absolutely filthy...

>> he learns how difficult working ther can be. >> how do you say..."get out the way"? >> shoro >> can this brittish man find common ground with his local host? >> "must really take it out of mr. loteef"... >> toughest place to be a ferryman on al jazeera america ... >> are you with us or against us? ukrainian soldiers are being pressured that you refer to take sides as to the mroments screening dip laments screening low mats meet in paris. >> al jazeera, live from doha. also coming up on the program, accused of interference with saudi arabia, the united aurab emirates withdraw am bossed bass screening screening screening ambassadors. >> a screening 3 are making their second court appearance. the investigation that found more than 60